Chapter 1 Psychologies of Meaning Alexander Batthyany and Pninit Russo-Netzer How Meaning Embarked on Its Journey to Psychology Throughout the history of mankind, people have been extensively preoccupied with existential questions, such as: Why are we here? What is my purpose? What do I stand for? What is the meaning of life? These universal questions deal with the core concern of what it means to be human and have inspired various myths, religions, arts, and philosophies, in different cultures around the world and across time and traditions. Today, in an age of knowledge explosion and an instant-suc- cess culture where “better, faster, higher” are sacred values—issues, such as the nature of meaning, its sources and expressions, emerge more forcefully. Processes of globalization and transition to an individualistic and pluralistic world challenge existing processes of continuity, socialization, and transmis- sion of traditional patterns (Buxant et al. 2010). The fast-paced affluent soci- ety in which we have, allegedly, everything we need to exist, and even an over abundance of choice, has turned out to be limiting rather than liberating, often leading to frustration, continuous dissatisfaction, and regret (Schwartz and Ward 2004). More than ever, hunger for meaning has intensified. In the face of the uncertainties and instabilities of our times, failing to respond to the inner voice of meaning may lead to boredom, anxiety, disengagement, and an exis- tential vacuum (Frankl 1969). Damon (2008) described many young people A. Batthyany (*) University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria e-mail:
[email protected] A. Batthyany Department of Philosophy and Psychology, International Academy of Philosophy, University in the Principality of Liechtenstein, Bendern, Liechtenstein P.